Assembly Standing Committee on Emergency Management

Good afternoon. Welcome to Emergency Management Committee. I'm Assembly Member Rodriguez, and welcome to today's hearing. At today's hearing, we'll take public comments from those in the room. Members of the public may also submit testimony to the committee at AEM.assembly.ca.gov. First, let's establish a quorum. Secretary, can you please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

We have established a quorum. Next, we have the bills on consent, filed number two, SB 1014, Dodd, regarding the California Wildfire Mitigation Strategic Planning Act. The motion is do passed to the Committee on Natural Resources. Filed number three, SB 1215, Senate Committee on Governmental Organization making technical changes to the structure of the State Board of Fire Services. That motion is do pass to the Committee on Appropriations. Do I have a motion and second? Motion is by... Who was it? Davies. Seconded by... There we go. Secretary, call the roll.

On the consent calendar, SB 1014. The motion is do pass to the Committee on Natural Resources. And SB 1215, the motion is do pass to the Committee on Appropriations. [Roll Call]

And consent is out. Unanimous. As we are waiting for some talking points for our first bill, SB 990, Padilla, staff is bringing over some talking points, so that way we'll present as... is still in session. So wait a few more minutes and hopefully they'll show up. Perfect timing. Okay. With that, we'll have Assembly Member Calderon present for Senator Padilla. They're still in session, and the witnesses can come forward. And Assembly Member, when you're ready, you can begin.

Am I live? Okay. Thank you, Mister Chair and Members. I'm here today to present SB 990. Last year, California suffered a record number of catastrophic natural disasters, which will only increase in frequency and intensity as climate change worsens.

Though climate change disasters will touch many Californians, recent studies indicate that LGBTQ people are disproportionately impacted by disasters, both because of preexisting marginalization and discriminatory disaster response policies. LGBTQ individuals, particularly those of color, face greater displacement conditions compared to cisgender heterosexual individuals, bias and disaster response programs.

Failure to recognize unique LGBTQ family structures, barriers to obtaining proper identification, and anti-LGBTQ practices at some disaster relief services provided by faith-based organizations can all compound to heighten the risks that lgbtq communities face during a disaster.

State and federal agencies continue to lack a clear strategy on how to integrate lgbtq people into disaster preparedness, planning and emergency response. In order to equitably serve the LGBTQ community, we must consult directly with advocates, organizations and researchers to ensure that their needs are being met.

SB 990 will would require that the California's Governor's Office of Emergency Services update the state emergency plan to include proposed policies and best practices for local governments and non governmental entities to equitably serve lgbtq communities during an emergency or natural disaster.

To craft these policies, Cal OEs would be required to coordinate directly with representatives of the lgbtq community. State policies and guidelines should reflect the needs of all Californians. SB 990 will help Cal OES further understand how to serve vulnerable populations when disaster strikes.

Here today to testify is Michael Ramirez, who serves as chair of the San Bernardino County Board for the American Red Cross and is a Member of the board of directors for the Pomona Valley Pride center, along with the Nicholas Weiss, representing the office of the California Insurance Commissioner.

And with that, you may proceed ones of support.

Thank you. Thank you for having me here today. My name is Michael Ramirez. As mentioned, I serve with the boards of Pomona Valley Pride and the American Red Cross. According to 2022 and 2023 data from the US Census Household Survey, the first national disaster data set to include sexual orientation and gender identity, LGBTQ people were displaced at nearly twice the rate of cisgender heterosexual individuals.

LGBTQ people in California were also more likely to experience water insecurity, unsanitary conditions, a shortage of food, and a fear of crime after disaster. LGBTQ individuals in California also experience extraordinarily high levels of permanent displacement, with worse displacement conditions among lgbtq people of color.

These data validate previous qualitative research and anecdotal evidence about the experiences of LGBTQ people across the country. LGBTQ couples, for example, have faced barriers to being sheltered together after disasters, and transgender people have been denied access to a shelter that corresponds with their gender identity.

We appreciate the work of state and federal partners to better understand and address the needs of the lgbtq community. FEMA, for example, included lgbtq communities in its 2022 Equity Action Plan and national preparedness report. But even that document lacks a clear strategy on how to integrate lgbtq people in preparedness and disaster planning.

In response, more work needs to be done, and SB 990 provides an important opportunity for California to be a leader in this space. As an emergency manager for more than 20 years, I know California.

I'm very proud of California being a leader in the emergency management space with cems with the work that we've done with the access and functional need communities, we've even taken care and focused on animals with the CARES act. So even, excuse me, even there, we recognize when there's a need to address it.

Consulting directly with LGBTQ experts, including social service agencies, nonprofit organizations, advocates and researchers, will allow Cal OEs to better understand how to support some of the most vulnerable members of our community when disaster strikes.

I've been on the other end of phone calls with residents that have called for services, and when we don't have FEMA individual assistance or other assistance that's available, it's hard to tell them that there's nothing really that we can do and try to point them to those nonprofit community organizations that might possibly be able to help.

So anything that we could do to better prepare our vulnerable communities, especially the LGBTQ community, which I'm a part of, I want to support. And as many folks have said before, you know, we don't want to be plan for without us, don't plan for us without us. And so this is an opportunity to do so. Thank you.

Thank you. And also, Nicholas Weiss, you have a few comments.

Thank you so much, Michael and Assemblywoman Calderon, for standing in good afternoon, Mister Chair and Committee Members. My name is Nicholas Weiss, Deputy Legislative Director for the Department of Insurance under the leadership of Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. First, I would like to thank Senator Steve Padilla for authoring this important measure.

Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is a proud co-sponsor of Senate Bill 990. SB 990 would require OES by January 12029 and every five years thereafter to update the state emergency plan to include proposed policies and best practices for local government and nongovernmental entities to equitably serve LGBTQ communities during an emergency or natural disaster.

LGBTQ individuals, as Michael said, are overrepresented in at risk populations for whom disasters are more likely to bring death, displacement, water insecurity, unsanitary conditions, a shortage of food, and a fear of crime after disaster.

In recent years, the Legislature has strengthened California's emergency preparedness by requiring CalOES to integrate the needs of vulnerable populations into emergency planning, such as access and functional need populations, and many of those bills were championed by Chair Rodriguez and passed by this Committee. SB 990 seeks to build on those efforts by incorporating the unique needs of LGBTQ people into the state emergency plan.

Insurance Commissioner Lara has traveled the state during and after natural and other disasters and has witnessed the human tragedy and suffering endured by Californians as a result of these events, we must be inclusive of all populations in our disaster response efforts, and this Bill is an important step in that direction. On behalf of Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, I ask for your aye vote. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Now with that, is there anybody in the room in support?

Craig Pulsipher. On behalf of Equality California proud co-sponsor in strong support.

Anyone else in support? Seeing none. Anyone in opposition? Seeing none, hearing none. We'll bring it back. So we have a motion, Assemblymember Warner, and seconded by Mister Arambula. So Assemblymember would you like to close?

Yes. You know it's an honor to present this Bill on behalf of Senator Padilla, and I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Thank you. So once again, the motion do pass. The Committee on Appropriations secretary call the roll.

SB 990. Padilla. The motion is do pass to the Committee on Appropriations. [Roll Call]

And that motion is up. Thank you very much. And I believe that is it we have for today in the Committee.

Thank you, Mister Chair.

I do leave the roll open for a few minutes in case we're missing somebody, but I don't think so. But once again, thank you all for joining us. Appreciate it. So with that, we'll go ahead and conclude today's meeting. I don't think our other Members may make it due to other things they got going on.

So with that, this meeting is adjourned. Thank you.